Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
WEEK 3: READING BLOG
Just curious, does anyone (besides the instructor) even read my blogs?
In Chapter 6, Krug explains the importance of using visual hierarchy in web design. He compares the experience of searching on the web and searching in the real world as similar. This kind of experience will depend on the use of hierarchy in signs such as the aisle signs seen in department stores that are meant to guide their shoppers towards a specific destination. Krug states that, “the ease of finding what you are looking for will determine whether the experience was satisfying or not”. Link-dominant shoppers, such as myself, certainly appreciates the convenience of having signs that allow us to easily navigate through the store. I can recall a few times when I had spent more hours than I should have in a store because I could not find what I was looking for. This kind of experience becomes especially frustrating when there are no employees available around your current location who can assist you and you end up having to search all over the store for someone. Now imagine having this kind of experience on a website where you can expect no employee assistance (unless there is the option of contacting a technical representative). Nonetheless, a website should be self-explanatory and should not make users think.
Krug also explains the importance of web navigation and its purpose. Aside from the obvious, the navigation should reveal contents or at least provide users with an idea on what kind of information can be found on the site. The navigation also reduces the feeling of being lost in digital space by presenting users with options to move around and retrace their steps if needed (also known as ‘breadcrumbs’). As Krug had mentioned, the site ID should serve as a direct link to the homepage even if most users are unaware of this option. I tend to use the site ID often when I am too far deep into a site and cannot locate the ‘home’ link. I personally think that having this option is effective and saves me from having to invest any more time or frustration on finding the ‘home’ link.
Related Links:
http://mycityapparel.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
http://www.target.com/
In Chapter 6, Krug explains the importance of using visual hierarchy in web design. He compares the experience of searching on the web and searching in the real world as similar. This kind of experience will depend on the use of hierarchy in signs such as the aisle signs seen in department stores that are meant to guide their shoppers towards a specific destination. Krug states that, “the ease of finding what you are looking for will determine whether the experience was satisfying or not”. Link-dominant shoppers, such as myself, certainly appreciates the convenience of having signs that allow us to easily navigate through the store. I can recall a few times when I had spent more hours than I should have in a store because I could not find what I was looking for. This kind of experience becomes especially frustrating when there are no employees available around your current location who can assist you and you end up having to search all over the store for someone. Now imagine having this kind of experience on a website where you can expect no employee assistance (unless there is the option of contacting a technical representative). Nonetheless, a website should be self-explanatory and should not make users think.
Krug also explains the importance of web navigation and its purpose. Aside from the obvious, the navigation should reveal contents or at least provide users with an idea on what kind of information can be found on the site. The navigation also reduces the feeling of being lost in digital space by presenting users with options to move around and retrace their steps if needed (also known as ‘breadcrumbs’). As Krug had mentioned, the site ID should serve as a direct link to the homepage even if most users are unaware of this option. I tend to use the site ID often when I am too far deep into a site and cannot locate the ‘home’ link. I personally think that having this option is effective and saves me from having to invest any more time or frustration on finding the ‘home’ link.
Related Links:
http://mycityapparel.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
http://www.target.com/
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
WEEK 2: READING BLOG
This week's reading discusses the advantages of visual hierarchy and web conventions, making it obvious what is clickable, presenting users with choices that are mindless, and Krug's third law of usability "Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of what's left". Visual hierarchy is certainly a quick and efficient way to scan any written document and retrieve specific information. I think that a lot of users value this particular principle because it allows them to perform selective reading and make the best use out of their time. Web conventions are beneficial as they provide users with a familiar structure to operate within which can also save them a lot of time and frustration. An experience that I can relate to is with sites that have questionable links. I have noticed that it has become common for some web links to take the form of an image rather than text. Although the intent of doing so is to foster creativity, I think that this technique often results in frustration, especially when no mouse-hover effect is added, which ultimately reduces the overall experience for the user. Images are not usually expected to be links so without any indication it is less likely for someone to know that the image is a link.
Krug’s third law of usability refers to the process of eliminating or reducing ‘happy talk’ and instructions on your site. It is important to make your site as convenient and visually appealing as possible to ensure a great experience for your users. This means excluding massive amounts of text or any unnecessary text by making the content self-explanatory. I tend to feel discouraged when I am on a site that is overwhelmed by text as it often appears cluttered and noisy. This kind of experience would divert my interest and compel me to continue searching on another site that is much more satisfying.
Related Links:
http://www.forever21.com/ (Images as links – vague!)
http://www.amazon.com/ (Too many search options!)
http://www.matthewmcconaughey.com/ (Clickables are not so obvious!)
Krug’s third law of usability refers to the process of eliminating or reducing ‘happy talk’ and instructions on your site. It is important to make your site as convenient and visually appealing as possible to ensure a great experience for your users. This means excluding massive amounts of text or any unnecessary text by making the content self-explanatory. I tend to feel discouraged when I am on a site that is overwhelmed by text as it often appears cluttered and noisy. This kind of experience would divert my interest and compel me to continue searching on another site that is much more satisfying.
Related Links:
http://www.forever21.com/ (Images as links – vague!)
http://www.amazon.com/ (Too many search options!)
http://www.matthewmcconaughey.com/ (Clickables are not so obvious!)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
WEEK 1: READING BLOG
While reading the assigned chapters for this week in our course textbook, I found Steve Krug’s writing to be interesting, informative, and enjoyable. I appreciate that his writing exerts a personality that is relatable and easy to read in comparison to most textbooks that are often dull and snooze-prone. Krug is honest and straightforward in his writing which I feel establishes a sense of trust between the reader and the author. I think that this becomes particularly important because it allows the reader to trust what the author has to say, especially when advice is being given. I also appreciate that the textbook includes several graphics to support his explanations. This works well for me since I feel more inclined to learn better with visuals.
I agree with Krug’s first law of usability, “Don’t make me think!”, which suggests that web interfaces should implement a design that is self-evident or self-explanatory. I tend to favor websites that are clean, simple, and convenient to use over those that appear in contrast to this. As Kruger had mentioned, the first few seconds on a website will ultimately determine whether the user will choose to remain on the site or search elsewhere. Generally, the main goal for any web developer is to keep their users on their site which leads me to question: Why wouldn’t a web developer want to build a site that is user friendly to all users? I would think that most of it is common sense, but then I suppose that professionals like Krug would be out of a job.
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